


Shelter

by cosmic_llin



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Backstory, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Female Friendship, Gen, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6986950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmic_llin/pseuds/cosmic_llin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beverly and Deanna take charge in a survival situation.</p><p>(This story touches on elements of Beverly's back story from The Arsenal of Freedom.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



Everything had happened very quickly.

First they were under attack – an unknown species, a ship configuration they'd never seen before – and then, the moment their shields dropped below 63%, they were being beamed down to the planet.

Beverly only knew that much because Deanna, who had been on the bridge at the time, passed the information on, during the hasty meeting she'd already called by the time Beverly arrived, under the shelter of an enormous, gnarled tree in this forest where they had found themselves.

There were a couple of dozen of them there, from all departments and areas of the ship. They'd all arrived within a few hundred metres of each other, in no discernible pattern. Poor Crewman Dray had ended up knee-deep in the stream. Most of them were ensigns, enlisted personnel or civilians.

'So,' Deanna summarised, 'this is what we know – the Enterprise was attacked by an unknown group. We have all been beamed down to the surface of the planet, and we should assume that other members of the crew have experienced something similar. Our communicators and tricorders aren't functioning, and we have no weapons. We have no idea where the rest of the crew is or whether we can expect to be rescued.

'Our first priority is survival. In a moment I'll divide you into teams, each with at least one trained Starfleet officer. Team A will find water, and potential food sources. Team B will find shelter. Team C will scout the area and determine any threats that might be present. Once our basic needs are accounted for, we'll reconvene and decide on our next steps.'

She took a moment to look around at everyone, smiling reassuringly. 'We have the skills to deal with this situation. We can handle this. Soon we'll be back on the Enterprise and telling stories about our adventures.'

She divided them into their teams – except for Beverly – and sent them off.

'I hope you don't mind,' she said to Beverly, as they watched the teams disperse. 'I know you're the senior officer, but it seemed more important to get started than to wait for someone higher ranked to show up.'

Beverly shook her head. 'You did the right thing. Those were the exact orders I'd have given. You must have done all right on the Academy survival course?'

'Top of the class,' Deanna said. 'There's a simplicity to it that appeals to me. Much more straightforward than studying engineering manuals. You know what you need. You do what you can to get it.'

An old, old emotion tugged at Beverly, but she ignored it. 'Sounds about right,' she said.

Deanna looked at her curiously, but didn't ask.

* * *

They made camp in the lee of a hill, protected by a slight overhang. Evening was approaching, but the weather was still mild. The teams had all achieved at least moderate success, and they had water in a bag improvised from a uniform jacket, some fruit and roots that might prove to be edible, and the area seemed to be clear of immediate danger.

Deanna relaxed her empathic shields for a moment to get a read on the mood of the group. They were anxious but focused, not too scared. Not too bad at all.

'This should be all right if we sleep close for warmth,' said Beverly, 'but we should make a fire anyway, for light and protection, and to purify the water.'

She found a pointed rock and started using it to clear the grass and weeds from a small area.

'Think you'll be able to get it started?' Deanna asked.

'No problem,' said Beverly. 'I've had lots of practice.'

Again, Deanna sensed that flash of... something, from Beverly. A complicated feeling, too complicated to get a handle on without probing further, and even if that had been polite, this was clearly not the time. Perhaps when this was over they'd have things to talk about.

Beverly was right about the fire. Within a few minutes it was blazing confidently, and she left an eager crewman in charge of it while she turned her attention to the pile of potential food. She rejected all the fungi immediately – there was no point risking it, at least not unless they were here much longer and they ran out of other reasonable options. She tested each item in turn, smelling it, inspecting it carefully. She rejected a few more. She lined up the remaining options in a neat row.

'All right,' she said. 'I want some volunteers.'

'What do you need?' Deanna asked, shuffling over from where she was wrestling a piece of bark into a bowl to boil and purify their drinking water.

'Roll up your sleeve,' said Beverly.

Deanna obeyed. Beverly took hold of her forearm and gently rubbed something sticky in a thick layer in the crook of her elbow.

'Keep this there for fifteen minutes or so before washing it off,' she said as she worked. 'It's from this plant.' She pointed to the first plant in the row. 'Remember which one it is. In the morning, if you haven't noticed any adverse effects – rashes, swelling, whatever – we'll try chewing and swallowing a little. Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon we'll have a good idea of which ones are edible.'

She squeezed Deanna's hand. 'You're all done,' she said. 'Next victim!'

* * *

By the time night had fallen completely, they'd boiled enough water that everyone could have a small drink before sleeping. They drew lots to assign watches – at least five people would remain awake at all times – four to watch for danger and one to take care of the fire. Deanna and Beverly both drew the second watch.

'All right,' announced Beverly. 'We should all sleep close for warmth. Don't worry if you don't feel comfortable cuddling up, but everyone should stay in reach of someone else, all right?'

She noticed the way Deanna subtly organised the group so that the civilians, and the youngest crewmen, and the people who looked the most pale and tired, were close to the fire. Deanna herself headed for the outside of the circle of bodies. Beverly followed her.

They lay down, face to face.

'I think, all things considered, we're doing all right,' Deanna said softly, for Beverly's ears only.

'We're doing fine,' said Beverly.

'I hope the others are managing,' Deanna said. 'I wonder where everyone else ended up?'

'Can you sense anything?' Beverly asked.

Deanna frowned. 'I'm almost certain we have everyone who landed nearby. Aside from that... I can sense that there are others on the planet, probably within a day or two's travel, but I couldn't tell you who or how many. But we're not the only survivors.'

'I guess we just have to assume that everyone else is getting on all right too,' Beverly said.

They were silent for a moment, listening to the night forest sounds.

'Deanna...' said Beverly, hesitantly.

'What is it?'

'I wouldn't normally ask, but... could you please come a little closer?'

'Of course,' Deanna said.

She shuffled until they were touching, and wrapped her arms around Beverly's waist, her head nestled against Beverly's back. Beverly was warm, a little tense. Deanna wriggled to get comfortable.

'Is that all right?' she asked.

'Yes,' said Beverly. 'Thank you.'

Deanna waited in case she was going to volunteer something more, but she didn't, and after a few minutes Beverly's breathing got slower and deeper, her muscles relaxed under Deanna's embrace, and Deanna's sense of her flattened. The others were all sleeping, or close to sleep, as well. Deanna let their quiet minds lull her own.

* * *

When they were woken for the second watch, the first watch had little to report. The fire was still burning well. Beverly and Deanna took up positions on the edge of the camp. They watched silently for a while, waking up fully, growing accustomed to the noises. Deanna stretched her awareness out a little and found only small creatures going about their nightly business.

'This is all just a little... too close to home for me,' Beverly said.

Deanna looked at her, and she shrugged. 'I know I'll wind up telling you eventually so I figured I might as well just get it out of the way.'

'A sensible decision,' Deanna said, with a faint smile.

'I don't think I ever told you much about what it was like, on Arvada Three,' said Beverly. 'But... well, we had to survive for quite a while before any help came. And I don't think about it that much any more, really I don't. It's not as though it haunts me. But this brings it back.'

And you're not sure how you feel about it?'

Beverly shrugged. 'That was the worst time in my life. Worse even than when my parents died – I was so much smaller then. And being reminded of it makes me, sad, but... I don't know. It's not as though I'm pleased to be here, but...'

'It's cathartic,' said Deanna. 'You're in another extreme situation, like that one, but this time you don't need to be scared. You're an adult now. You know you have some control over the situation, and everything you learned back then is helping you to maintain that control.'

'That's exactly it,' said Beverly. 'I mean... it's not as if I don't know that we're in danger. But I still feel like everything's going to work out all right.' She met Deanna's eyes. 'I'm glad you're here. I'm glad I'm not doing this by myself.'

'Me too,' said Deanna warmly.

'Sun's starting to come up,' said Beverly. 'We'll need to decide on our next steps, get the day started.'

'You're right, we will,' said Deanna. 'Let's watch the sunrise first, though?'

Beverly tilted her head, an agreement, and they watched together as the forest slowly filled with light.


End file.
